Soop's kitchen for kind and caring folk

Synonymous Lucky you. I am envious of your lemon tree. How exotic. I would really like a fig tree. No greenhouse, and our garden isn't the best place to produce figs.

It is another beautiful, sunny but chilly-ish day. There is barely a cloud in the sky. The high, salt-laden winds of late, have gunged up our windows. MacS will be cleaning them this afternoon. Bless.

maw lovely thought. We must try and keep positive.
ann if you need help drinking your case of wine, DH and I are happy to assist ?
P.S. happy to help you with your tequila tasting too soop
TOYA

Doodle Once we've mastered the art of the perfect Tequila Sunrise you lot will be in for a wee treat.

No better place than then kitchen raise a smile; that's brilliant Nannytopsy.

for you dragonfly on getting through your last treatment.

An uplifting message*MawB* and thanks to you Galen for the Compline prayer.

I decided not to go to my gym today. It's a small independent establishment and the owner, a lovely guy is worried that members will cancel their memberships. I've assured him I wont be and he said if he's told to close he'll add those months onto all memberships FOC.

That reminds me of our honeymoon soop. We shared a bottle of a rather expensive wine that turned out to be so potent that we literally stumbled up the stairs to our room, which made us laugh rather loudly and the laughter continued for sometime once we got there.

Aaaah those were the days; now if only I could remember the name of the wine!!

soop we have a small fig tree growing against the south west wall of our bungalow. We got 3 whole figs from it last year and had a celebration where we and our gardening friend had one each and they were really yummy. They need to be treated in a very cavalier fashion with very poor ground and no feed otherwise you just get leaves and no fruit.
Isn't it funny how drinks taste wonderful when on holiday but lack that 'je ne sais quoi' back at home.

On my patio I’m lucky enough to be able to grow lemon, limes and figs as well as tomatoes and a grapevine.
I seem to have a microclimate there as the back is freezing!
I love sitting out there in the sun as it’s very secluded.
Talking of which, how long unto summer?

ann if you are sharing I prefer a very dry white. If it is red, I would love a rare to medium steak with all of the trimmings, please. That would be one way of getting through the weekend. Your cat would love the extra attention. I would obviously make an exception re travelling if food and drink are involved. Please do not think I have double standards, it is purely for survival.

My stupid sister in law by marriage has encouraged her AC to visit herself and her DH this weekend for Mothers Day- how stupid when three live in London and they are travelling to East Sussex. None drive so that will mean trains if they are still running. I do not think she liked the email I sent yesterday- tough.

A cheeky squirrel has been ripping pieces off very thick rope I have in my garden,presumably to build a nest and I was watching with a smile on my face until I saw it has chewed through a safety rope on top level of the garden.No smiling now from me.I've let cassie out on Squirrel Patrol.

soop shall we call your cocktail The Quarantini? ?
We will all need a lift in these worrying and uncertain times whatever our tipple, we could arrange a set time and all toast each other.

We have a fig tree in a SW facing border syn DD bought it for DH's 60th, so it is 9 years old in May. The directions at the time were to plant it in a big pot then place it in the border. The border is up against a 6ft wall, essential in our windy seaside weather. However it didn't do very well, so after about 3 years he took it out of the pot and it has fared far better. We had about 25 figs last year. The birds are very fond of them though, our half Cypriot mobile hairdresser told us to cover each one with little plastic bags - that's what her father does. Not very eco friendly now, so not sure how we'll stop the little beggars in future.

dragonfly that is such good news. I'm so pleased for you ?
Hope you are ok Susan your daughters too. You're allowed a wobble, you're so supportive and kind to others, it's our turn now.
Carillion sending love and best wishes to you and your DH
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It will be a very different Mothers Day for us all this year, but it is just one day. That's a yummy looking cake NannyT, just the thing to cheer us up. We will be doing similar next Wednesday for DD's birthday.

We have a fig tree in a big pot which thrives on total neglect. It's against a NE facing wall where it gets hardly any sun and it's watered seldom and yet it fruits wonderfully, delicious sweet and juicy figs for weeks. The birds don't show any interest but wasps do. We also have a lemon tree and a calamondin tree in pots in the glasshouse . They both need repotting but are too big for us to do anymore.

I'm looking forward to getting my strong flour and yeast delivered and going back to baking my own bread. It's really satisfying, but I haven't done it for years so I'll put some in the kitchen AFTER I've got the hang of it again. Heaven only knows when we'll see any spuds again with no home deliveries in the offing.We won't starve but there will be some strange meals on the table!

Spending time with you lot isn't simply a good way to pass the time...it's inspirational and, dare I say it, happy-making.

A neighbour has kindly dropped off a sack of wild bird seed. He knows that we cherish our feathered friends. He happened to be passing the shop in Tarbert that sells it in decent size quantities and bought a sack on our behalf. I do love kind folk,

I'm about to shorten a pair of over-long tracksuit pants. I thought that, as MacSporran doesn't ever wear them, I will during this period of "lockdown".
He also has an anorak that has started to come away at the seams. Might as well repair that too. I'm on a roll...

The sun continues to shine brightly. I am TOYA and wishing you well until we meet in our kitchen again.

Just need a rant. No answer to this sadly. Went off to my parents grave today, it’s an hour and a bit away. It was worrying me we hadn’t been able to go since December, the Christmas plant needed to be replaced with some bright silk flowers.

The headstone (an area for those who have been cremated, sloping not upright headstones) is at the bottom of a slope, once before we could see water had puddled there and drained away. This time the whole area was under water, at least 200 graves.

Determined to get there I went back to the car for the old shoes I keep for beach walks. Literally paddled along the path and across the mud to their grave. The water came over my shoes, my Dad’s details obscured by a huge muddy puddle.

I managed the changeover, wouldn’t let Mr C as he had no spare shoes. Another couple had given up, the woman was in tears. Am I right to be appalled? I keep thinking how my Mum hated being wet and cold. Daft I know.

Hey, ho. I’ll email the relevant council department and the local councillor for the area asking for drainage to be installed.

Rant over, sorry I know no one can do anything, needed to get it off my chest. I’m so angry and yes, upset.

On a brighter note I got home to find some beautiful flowers delivered from one of ours for Mothering Sunday. Just what I needed.

TOYA, take care everyone

Good afternoon everyone, I hope you are all coping as well as you can with this new 'normal'.
DH was out before 8 this morning, first to the butcher and then to the supermarket. He was gone a very long time and I was hoping he hadn't had any run ins with 'panic buyer'. He's not the most tolerant of people. But no all was calm and he came back with nearly everything on my list.
I have a few health problems so I'm in the at risk group so stayed indoors. If it's not raining tomorrow we will go for a walk along the beach, very few people about.
I'm missing my family the same as everyone else but we keep in touch by WhatsApp and phone.
Best wishes to you all, we will get through this and come out the other side, hopefully stronger and kinder xx

Sar53 we shall have to have a "virtual" meet up for coffee and cake.

Thinking of coming down to your end of the beach to see GC as long as we stay a good distance apart we can chat and catch up.

Keep safe

Playing catch-up today since the day before yesterday in the end I had 3 seizures and was wiped out yesterday, so much so I only posted once - on the morning thread. Recovered now though, even if the bedroom radiator cover (which was provided to prevent injury) did fall on me as soon as I put one foot on the floor when I got out of bed! This afternoon myWP faced the madness that our local chemist has become to pick up his medications. Tried yesterday, queued 45 minutes prescription not in. Went this morning, queue to the end of the carpark. Decided best thing to do was arrive whilst it was shut at lunchtime, still took forever and he was first in the queue. The pharmacist couldn't provide his complete prescription and told him that chemist's supply delivery drivers were all off - so no new supplies! How are people going to get their med's? Both chemists nearby are the same company.
Doodle thanks for your offer but I don't see your proposal working as I sleep in a king-size bed. Call me Cherry or CherryC Doodle or as my man used to say "put your glasses on straight woman"
soop I don't know if anyone in the kitchen can come with a brainwave but I do have one idea - if anyone in the kitchen has any normal brainwaves to spare they could donate them to me as that's what I need
Charleygirl you sound just like my niece, she calls herself fiercely independent.
Susan56 I hope you got my message on the morning thread. I can fully empathise with you re: your concerns over medication issues. I don't quite know what people are supposed to do.
Great news dragonfly
I love the cartoon Maw and it's so true. A positive we can hold onto ?
I know there's more I wanted to write but off to sort out food. I hope to come back, if I don't I hope you know my TOYA .

The family are keeping me supplied with these!
My daughter and her university friends are using an app this evening to have a drinks party. Everyone has to get dressed up!

Oops cherryC sorry I misspelt your name. Also sorry you had such a bad day the day before yesterday and were attacked by the radiator cover. Hope you are feeling better today.
Take care all x

After two phone calls today I still have no definitive answer to whether or not I get my op next week.
I think I know the answer but still waiting to be told.
I have been told not to go for bloods on Monday.
Oh well, we are all in it together.
We have had a beautiful day here, sun all day, such a change.
Keep safe everyone.

Sorry to read of your day Cherry you are amazing just like our Izabella makes me feel bad for moaning.

ann, you are not moaning! This op. that you have needed so long is very important to you and it will be a bitter blow if it is cancelled. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Xx

At least 12 months self isolating wont be too difficult for me as I cant walk anywhere .
I wonder if for some of us older ones we will ever see life as we know it now again
I have my doubts, how sobering is that thought.

Very sobering Annsixty which is why I am having a glass of dry white wine at this very minute..........I hate this flipping virus

Out here in Spain we’ve just had the 8pm thank you (an hour ahead) balcony clapping, flashing lights, cheering, whistling and waving to all our neighbours. It’s really uplifting when you’re in lockdown. It says ‘thank you to everyone for keeping us all safe, we’re in this together - how are we all doing?’. It brings tears to my eyes each evening we join in.

The villa across the road has mum, dad and a Down’s girl of about 15y. She delightedly semaphores her joyous feelings up to us on our landing at our front door - we dementedly clap our hands and wave (I wish I could whistle with two fingers but I never learnt!) whilst Himself flicks our lights on and off. All the villas and surrounding apartmentos join in and when I come in I don’t feel so isolated. It’s such a wonderfully supportive feeling within the community. x

Urmstongran its community spirit which we all need to get through the coming months

Very true GG13. We need to pull together and be our best selves.

This evening our youngest daughter rang. She was telling me about the bare shelves in Sainsburys. She needed hand sanitizer (doesn’t everyone) and I felt so proud of her when she said ‘mum, I found 2 tucked at the back of the shelf - amazing! I took one and left the other. We need to share.’

I can’t believe how stupidly emotional I feel this evening. It gets to you every now and again doesn’t it?